For their reward, Broncos assistant coaches will receive individual year-end meetings Wednesday. Some will be told it's OK to look around. Many will be rooting for interim head coach Eric Studesville to get the full-time gig. It's possible no one will be retained.

Such is the life of NFL assistant coaches. Broncos assistants have known their jobs were in peril from the time McDaniels was caught up in a videotape episode.

McDaniels was fined $50,000 for failing to report the illicit taping of a San Francisco 49ers walkthrough practice Oct. 30 in London.

Nine days after McDaniels' infraction was made public, he was fired as head coach. His remaining assistants continued working through the final four games. They were asked to file evaluation reports Monday of players they personally coached, then reconvene for meetings Wednesday.

That same day, the Broncos will hold a news conference to announce John Elway as their head of football operations.

"I would say that we've got some good coaches. These last four weeks, they have shown that they deserve to be coaching somewhere, whether it is here or with another team," linebacker and special-teams captain Wesley Woodyard said.

Tebow excited about Elway.

Rookie quarterback Tim Tebow, a day removed from his third start, said he's excited the Broncos will have a Hall of Fame quarterback in the front office.

"I think it is great John Elway is part of this organization again. I think he'll do great things for us," Tebow said.

Tebow said he will follow the coaching search closely and hopes to connect with the new head coach as soon as possible.

"I definitely would like to start learning the offense right away, even in these early months," Tebow said.

One that got away.

It was fourth-and-1 at the Broncos' 31, and the Chargers were going for it Sunday. They were leading 26-14.

Broncos defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale stacked the line of scrimmage but had outside linebacker Robert Ayers stay back with explicit instructions — watch for the halfback toss.

"It's a popular play, so we had a pretty good idea it was coming," Ayers said. "He just beat me to the outside."

Mathews finished the 31-yard run for the winning touchdown.

Ayers had his right foot in a walking boot Monday — not the left foot he had broken earlier in the season. He said he could have practiced this week.

Footnotes.

By finishing in a three-way tie with Cincinnati and Buffalo with a 4-12 record, the Broncos will have the No. 2 pick in the first round, the fourth pick in the second round and the third pick in the third round of the 2011 draft. . . . The Broncos signed six practice-squad players: LB Dominic Douglas, RB Jeremiah Johnson, RB Brandon Minor, S Nick Polk, WR Eron Riley and DE Mitch Unrein.

Rockies relief pitcher John Axford, who hasn't pitched for the team since last Wednesday, was forced to leave spring training camp after his 2-year-old son was bit by a rattlesnake twice in his right foot.

One-day event to run slide down University HillIt's not quite the alternative mode of transportation that Boulder's used to, but, for one day this summer, residents will be able to traverse several city blocks atop inflatable tubes.

DETROIT (AP) — In a story March 27 about a 'Little Syria' exhibit going to Ellis Island, The Associated Press, due to incorrect information from the Arab American National Museum, erroneously reported the date the exhibit will open. Full Story